1598. SHAKESPEARE, All’s Well that Ends Well, ii. 3. Methinks, thou art a general offence, and every man should beat thee. I think thou wast created for men to BREATHE THEMSELVES upon. Ibid. (1609), Pericles, ii. 3. Here is a lady that wants BREATHING too.
1609. The Man in the Moone. It seemed some gentleman’s mannor, but I could espie no wagges watching, nor wantons wagging out to BREATH THEMSELVES when their maddam was covered.
1637. HEYWOOD, The Royall King, sig. F. iii. And think’st thou to BREATH me on trust?
CHANGE YOUR BREATH, verb. phr. (American).—An injunction to adopt a different manner or bearing.
TO KEEP (or SAVE) ONE’S BREATH (or WIND) TO COOL ONE’S BROTH (or PORRIDGE), verb. phr. (old).—To desist from useless argument, doing, or remonstrance.
1608. L. MACHIN, The Dumb Knight, ii. My lord, SAVE YOUR BREATH FOR YOUR BROTH; I am not now at leisure to attend you.
1660. HOWELL, Parly of Beasts, 85. Truly, sir, you may please, as the proverb runs, to KEEP YOUR BREATH TO COOL YOUR POTTAGE, and spend it no longer upon me.
1706. WARD, The Wooden World Dissected, 32. He makes no long-winded graces, because he loves to KEEP HIS BREATH TO COOL HIS POTTAGE.
1725. N. BAILEY, trans. The Colloquies of Erasmus, 312. You have no reason to fear a peace for these ten years: the pope is the only man that persuades them to come to an agreement among themselves, but he had as good KEEP HIS BREATH TO COOL HIS PORRIDGE.
1772. BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 539.
| But might as well have SAV’D HIS WIND | |
| TO COOL HIS POTTAGE. |
1900. G. BOOTHBY, A Maker of Nations, viii. If it’s wanting to be let out ye are, let me tell ye ye may as well SAVE YER BREATH TO COOL YER PORRIDGE.
